Indian American student was ‘uncomfortable’ with gay roommate

New York, March 2 (IANS) Indian American student Dharun Ravi, on trial for spying on his roommate with a webcam, “appeared uncomfortable” with having a gay roommate, an ultimate frisbee teammate testified before a New Jersey court.

On the fifth day of former Rutgers University student’s trial Thursday, Geoffrey Irving testified to the jury that Ravi told him that he had set up a web camera in his dorm room and was planning to do it again that night, referring to the evening of Sep 21, 2010.

Irving, now a graduate of Rutgers University, said that Ravi talked about having a gay roommate several times.

“He appeared uncomfortable with the situation,” said Irving, who was captain of Ravi’s ultimate frisbee team.

Irving also said that Ravi told him he’d spied on Clementi and that he planned to do it again.

A day after Ravi allegedly invited friends to watch his roommate’s love life via a webcam, Clementi, 18, complained to dorm officials and then jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge.

Ravi’s defence has argued that it was just a sophomoric prank to use the webcam and write about it on Twitter, not a malicious act motivated by homophobia.

In all, Ravi is charged with 15 counts and faces 10 years in prison if convicted of the most serious hate crime charge.

Rutgers police officer testified Krzysztof Kowalczy Thursday that when he searched for missing Clementi Ravi did not mention that Clementi was upset over Ravi’s alleged webcam spying and had asked to switch rooms the previous day.

Kowalczy said he was told to conduct a “well-being” check for Clementi on Sep. 22, 2010 after police found Clementi’s possessions on the George Washington Bridge.